Michael Jackson’s entire back catalogue, including an unreleased collaboration with will.i.am, has been stolen by hackers. The Sony Music archive has been infiltrated by cyber-crooks, who have illegally downloaded more than 50,000 digital files.

Record company bosses paid $250 million to Jackson’s estate in 2010 for the catalogue, including unheard material from studio sessions when the superstar recorded Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.